
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Gruen Precision 'Doctor No', 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Gruen (maker)
- Date
- 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 33 mm
- Stock no.
- 40992729
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40992729)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Gruen Precision 'Doctor No' (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40992729), this is a wristwatch by Gruen, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 33 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Analog/Shift
Alongside Hamilton, Bulova, and Elgin, Gruen once stood among the giants of American watchmaking. Its founder, Dietrich Gruen — a young German apprentice with a knack for innovation — immigrated to the United States in 1867 after falling in love with a watchmaker's daughter en route. Two years later, he co-founded the Columbus Watch Company and, by 1874, patented a safety pinion mechanism that protected movements from mainspring breaks — a small but significant leap forward in horological engineering. This example from the 1960s belongs firmly in the latter camp — understated, refined, and deeply emblematic of the era. Housed in a 33mm gold plated case with an acrylic crystal, it features a crisp 'stick' dial with 'pencil' hands, powered by a hand-wound Calibre 510 movement. Its minimalist aesthetic channels the same mid-century elegance that defined the Calatrava, but with a distinctly American twist. Adding a dash of cinematic intrigue, the Gruen Precision 510 is also believed to be the very first watch worn by James Bond — appearing briefly on 007's wrist during early production for Dr. No before being swapped out for the now-iconic Rolex Submariner. With its clean lines, golden warmth, and impeccable condition, this Gruen is more than a fine dress watch — it's a slice of watchmaking history with undeniable star power. It even comes with its original box. Elegant, understated, and effortlessly cool, it wears its license to kill with style.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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